Feliz Cumpleaños
by StarkidDreamer
Summary: February only wanted to celebrate Taz's birthday. She had no idea it would turn out like this. Tup. Not sure exactly what fluff means but I think this would be considered a little fluffy...? R&R plz


Up rolled his shoulders as he made his way to the mess hall. The past few week's had been difficult for him. He'd finally started getting back to the old him, the him he was before that damn Optimus Prime had sawn him clear in half. He'd spent most of his day finishing the paperwork from the recent mission February had messed up when he ran right into the airy Schience officer. She started shouting at him instantly, blocking his view from the mess hall. He played along even though e easily could have moved her aside. Up rolled his eyes at February as she spewed some odd threat about a wardrobe malfunction if he didn't go get Taz "RIGHT NOW!" she pleaded. "She wont listen to me. You have to do it!" he rolled his eyes again and stalked off to look for his Lieutenant.

When he'd found her in the training room she was doing pull-ups, sweat trickling down her back as she made angry noises trying desperately to do just one more pull up. Then just one more. Again. Again. She was determined to do pull-ups and sit-ups and push-ups until she could no longer feel her aching muscles. Then she would start on the punching bag. She would hit it again and again until her cracked and bleeding hands were completely numb and useless. Of course Up had to come in to get her. He had the look of the old Up on his face. Before the injury. Before everything had changed. She wiped sweat from her face and he smiled a little lopsided as his robot side reacted just a hair slower then his normal, human, half. "What?" she asked in that delicious Mexican drawl of hers.

"February said that if I didn't bring you to the Mess hall she'd do something unforgivable with your clothes. I had no idea what she was talking about." he shrugged. He honestly couldn't see what the blond was going on about. Something special. A surprise. He doubted Taz would enjoy any kind of surprise. She'd been especially mouthy and closed off lately. The schience officer was probably trying to loosen her up. He watched as her hand twitched towards her belted knife then a sigh escaped her lips.

"Sí, fine. I'll come." she mumbled. "¿Puedo tomar una ducha antes de ir?"

"That might be a good idea." he followed her back to her quarters and waited patiently for her to shower. She took longer then her usual shower. Much longer in fact. The five feet tall Mexican spitfire usually spent no more then four minutes in the shower but Up found himself glancing at the clock almost a half hour later. He was preparing himself to go in after her when the door swung open and she came out, skin raw and eyes unusually puffy. "What's wrong Taz?"

"Nada." she mumbled and he automatically turned around so she could get dressed. They had spent a lot of time in close quarters so they had walked in on each other changing before, and quite often, but they had always been used to each others presence and he always respected her by turning when she forgot that they no longer had to share a room with eight others. He gave her her modesty even if she forgot about it herself. That was an ongoing joke her first year under his command. All the other ensigns would joke about how flat chested she was that she wasn't much of a girl anyways. Up disagreed. It was never about size. He'd voiced this once after a few drinks and his own size came into the question. She'd laughed hysterically at the words and he always loved her laugh so he won in the end really. Despite the size jokes he'd received over the next two months.

Taz tapped his shoulder and he turned, grinning at the pixie like girl. Her big cinnamon eyes were still slightly swollen, red blotches under her eyes making them puffy. Had she been crying? "You sure you are okay?" he asked, tilting her chin up slightly.

"Estoy bien. Drop it." she muttered the last part and he nodded leading her off.

Up walked into the mess hall looking around in astonishment. The mess hall was decorated with red and blue streamers, a banner spread across the room reading Happy Birthday over and over again in big black letters. February was milling about setting things up. She'd been very busy lately. Clearly. She'd straightened Spec's hair with some kind of iron and forced mostly everyone into a nicer set of clothes. He hadn't been sure what she was going on about. She'd forced him with her pleading eyes and pouting lip to go get Taz from the gym. Taz was following him quickly now. He went cold as he realized the date and spun to stop the small girl from entering the room. Her eyes went round though as she saw what had been set up. Her heart thudded loud, surely loud enough to be heard by everyone, until it was a painful thumping in her chest. She turned and ran. "Shit!"

To be honest, he'd actually forgotten her birthday. This was a new group of rangers. They didn't know to avoid the subject. February was lucky she hadn't found Taz alone and wished her a happy day. She would be in the medical bay for the next week if she had. He knew this could either go two ways. He could have angry, pissed off, menacing Taz to deal with or, and he'd much prefer the first option, tear streaked remorse ridden Taz. She rarely came out though but he knew that this was the side of his Taz that he'd have to quell tonight. "What's wrong?" February asked and grabbed his arm. He had to strain not to send the idiot flying.

"You don't ever mention her birthday." he ground out and ripped his arm out of hers before running after Taz.

He checked the gym then her room and found her in neither. He took in a breath and thought. Where would Taz go? It struck him like a punch to the face and he turned back, heading to the Commander's quarters. She was there, of course she would go to his room first, holding half a bottle of Taquila. He hoped she had found one of her half empty bottles but that thought was dashed by the sight of the topper, ripped foil still wrapped around the lid and the bottle. He watched as she downed a quarter of the bottle in one long swig before he was able to snatch the bottle away. She was curled in the corner of his bed, the blanket pulled up over her knees that were yanked up to her chest almost lazily."You can't drink them away Taz."

"What would jou know?" she grumbled out and reached for the bottle. He grabbed her arm and yanked her closer into a full on embrace.

"I've seen you try it before." he said simply. "Didn't work five years ago. Won't work now."

"Has it really been diez años?" she asked her self mainly.

"Yeah. Gotta admit though. This is one of my favorite days." he didn't think she'd actually hear the statement. He felt her jerk back and he held her fast to avoid personal injury.

"I lost everything that day Up! ¡Mis hermanos! ¡Mi mamá y papá! My home!" He took a drink of the Tequila, loving the burn, then set the bottle down and shifted Taz in his arms. He finagled her into his lap and pulled her closer still.

"It was sad. But that was the day I met you. Remember?" after a long beat of silence she nodded.

"Sí." she had her chin tucked close to her chest, head resting against his warm thumping chest. She could hear his human heart thumping against his ribcage as her hands slid up and grabbed a hold of his shirt, twisting it in her fingers. She was twenty-five dead goddamn it! She was acting like una estúpida niña! "Jou came in like a knight in shining G.L.E.E. standard issue body armor." she laughed a cold sound. She was instantly thrown back into her memories. The fire as red beams shot everywhere. She came from a small village. Everyone around her had been from the same three large families. All three, save for one skinny short haired fifteen year old, died out suddenly and silently. Most of their lives snuffed before they realized what was happening.

The attack was quick. There was no time to scream or run. Taz had been lucky. She was holding a pink frosting covered knife as she sliced into the small cake her mamá had made her just for today when the sound started. It seemed like everyone was wiped out in a few short bursts of fire. Her mother was slammed in the back with a red beam as she was guiding her knife in Taz's hand. She hadn't been Taz then though. She'd been Esmeralda then. Esmeralda Costanza Evita Vargas-Lopez. Her mamá pushed her down when she was hit, throwing her under the table as the cake toppled onto her home made red dress. Taz could still remember it as if it had happened moments ago.

She held onto that knife for dear life, grateful her mother had let her cut her hair to her chin instead of keeping it halfway down her back like she'd wanted. She grabbed the bottom of her dress and pulled at a clean seam coming up with a long red strip that she folded over and tied around her forehead to keep her hair completely out of her face. Taz touched the scrap of fabric now. At the time she had no idea what she was about to do. She didn't know if she would survive the night. She'd instantly gone into a state of shock after seeing her mother fall. Nothing was really registering.

The table above her lifted up and she found herself lunging at whatever was coming at her. She sliced at several of the smaller more human shaped models and took three out in one clumsy stroke of luck. They fell and she grabbed at the fallen weapon one of them had been holding. She shot again and again until every last 'pew' had silenced. She was breathing heavy when she realized her eyes where shut. She opened them and found herself very suddenly being lifted by the less human shaped creature. Sure the body was humanoid but they didn't have the silvery hair the other units had. Just cold black holes where eyes would be and smooth face plates. It jerked her hands together and grabbed at the Piñata. It ripped the string out of the top sending candy sprawling out over the floor then used the rope to efficiently tie her arms together.

"Why?" it asked in a menacing voice. "Why do you hit the Piñata with the stick?" it seemed confused. "Is it 'Fun'?" it asked. "Let's see." it was flanked then by two other robots. They seemed to communicate using a string of beeping noises and zero's and one's. They turned and broke the legs off the table she'd been hiding under briefly. "Let's see." it repeated. The legs swung out and she heard the distant sound of zapper's sounding. Saw a blue flash and felt relief. Blue. Starship Ranger's. They were coming for her. She bit her lip defiantly and kicked out as the first one swung. She tried not to scream as the wood splintered. Her leg made an odd hollow snap noise then it felt as if it weighed ten times more. The robot tossed it's broken leg away and the other two swung in tandem.

The blows hit from two different directions. One smashing into her skull and the other her ribs. She let out a high scream and kicked with her other leg this time, a long stream of swears sliding from between her lips. Another hit to her ribs then she saw him. He was calling orders into a com unit when his eyes found hers. He quickly surveyed the scene, noting the dead robots that littered the floor then they flashed back to the girl still kicking and spinning wildly as the robots swung table legs at her. He shot three quick blue bursts in rapid succession and it was over. He glanced around again then stormed over to her. He grabbed a chair on the way and used it to boost so he was tall enough to wrap an arm around her waist. She hissed in pain but was grateful when the other hand sliced through the rope. Her body sagged onto his shoulder suddenly, probably no more then a hundred pounds, and he stepped carefully down. "Are you all right?" he asked as he set her against the tree.

His face was all business as he took in her tattered dress. Her leg was swollen and clearly broken. She favored her right side and blood was pouring from a wound by her left temple. He held up two fingers. "How many?"

"Dos. Two." she murmured.

"Can you tell me what happened here?" he wanted to keep her talking. His eyes were darting around. His rangers had just tagged in saying most of the bots were retreating but he was still nervous. There were few survivors and he'd just found where most of the townspeople must have been. It looked like a party.

"Dey started shooting. Hit mama. I had da knife. Killed three of dem and grabbed the zapper. I..." she paused and he looked at her. Her lip was quavering and anger was shinning in her eyes. "I shot as many of dem as possible." Her chin jutted out in pride. "I kept fighting."

"I saw that. When they had you in the tree. Spinning and kicking like the Tasmanian Devil."

"Taz?" she asked and he grinned slightly. Keep her talking until the rangers found him. Keep her talking because she was clearly the most injured survivor they had come across. Keep her talking because she was intriguing him. She was obviously older then she looked.

"Yeah. Its and old show from before our time."

"I love Taz." she said surprising him.

"Why was everyone in town here?" he asked off topic. Keep her awake. Keep her talking.

"Es mi Quinceañera." she paused. "My birthday." she showed him her pink high healed foot. "I am a woman now." her head bobbed to the side and he hauled her up.

"On my back." Harder to fall asleep that way. She looked at him like he was insane but he gestured at her again and she very carefully wrapped herself around him. "All right lets go Taz."

She smiled thinking about that day. Smiled out of pity for herself and for the twelve survivors of the village. "Yeah. My whole team came that day." Up commented. "It was a clean sweep. You know your actions saved several lives." he told her and she nodded.

"It didn't save my friends lives. My family."

"Yeah but it saved mine." she looked up at him for the first time in a while. "Taz you remember how I was right away. Cold. You...warmed me up." He said at the risk of sounding soft. She laughed. "That's why I can't hate your birthday. That was the day I met you. Every birthday you have is another year I get to spend with you." He kissed her forehead and she looked up at him questioningly. He smiled down at her lightly tanned face and she sucked in a deep breath. She used her hands, still curled in his shirt, to push herself up so she could reach him, face to face. She stayed there for a moment and one of his hands came up to trace the scar at her temple before both mouths suddenly met in fiery unison.

Their mouths moved in a quick passionate burst, ten years of heated moments and sideways glances bursting out of her all at once. His mouth was warm and she could feel his heart beat quicken as his hands found her waist. Her arms shook so she shifted in his lap eliciting a low groan as she situated one knee on either side of his legs. This made her taller the him so she dipped her head down. He pulled her ever closer and deepened the kiss. Her body unconsciously slipped down his until she was sitting in his lap, legs wrapped around his waist. He jerked her up towards him again, pressing her against his chest tightly. They broke for air and her head dropped to his shoulder. He caught sight of her same bloodstained red bandana and turned to see her shaking on his shoulder. "No- Don't cry!" she pulled back, amusement on her face. He didn't know if he should be offended or not.

"I have been waiting ten years for dat!" she laughed again and his deep voice joined in. A knock sounded on the door before it flew open. Taz whipped around wide eyed at Specs.

"I-uh-I...Feb sent...never mind!" she turned and scurried away. Up watched Taz as she burst out into another laughing fit. Up removed her from his lap and set her down.

"February meant well. Go to the party. We can...discuss this later." she nodded before she caught what he'd said and he waggled an eyebrow at the girl. She laughed again as his lips captured in another fierce, encompassing kiss.

* * *

><p>I would be much grateful if someone reviewed. Forgive my Spanish mistakes I grew up in a Spanish neighborhood but i am not Spanish so my conjugation has plenty of oopsies.<p> 


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